But those few tastes of really fresh vegetables have me craving even more. When I was at the grocery story I succumbed to the lure of corn on the cob. I couldn't help myself.
In previous years, I refused to buy corn until it was locally grown, but this year I couldn't resist. I brought it home and cooked it, and to my surprise it was actually pretty good.
Not as good as local corn will be this summer. But it was pretty darned good.
I cooked all of the corn I bought, because fresh corn doesn't age well, and then I pondered the leftovers.I decided to make a corn-based salsa. The sweet crunchy of the corn made the perfect counterpoint to the tart tomatoes and lime, and balanced the heat of the pepper.
And let's face it, the light yellow kernels looked great in the salsa. It's not summer yet, but this was a great preview for what we've got coming. The olives are completely optional, but they add a nice brininess and dark accent color.
Lately the jalapenos I've been buying have been all over the map as far as heat. Some are incredibly mild, while some pack a lot of heat. If you prefer a spicier salsa, use the seeds and ribs of the pepper. If you want even more heat, use a hotter type of pepper.
Corn Salsa
1 ear corn, cooked
1 tomato, diced
1/4 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
10 black olives, sliced
2 radishes diced.
Pinch of salt
Juice of 1/2 lime
Remove the kernels from the corn, and put them in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
This is ready to serve as soon as it it mixed, or can be made well ahead of time and refrigerated until you need it.
Taste your salsa before serving, and add salt, if needed. If your peppers weren't as hot as you like, can add more hot peppers (of you have them) or add chili powder or cayenne, if you prefer.
